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Thursday, February 28, 2008

Who puts the Spirit in Ultimate?

Nation,Here's some early Friday fun.

I'm absolutely psyched to see the new Will Ferrell movie. Semi-Pro features Ferrell's newest character, Jackie Moon, and he's straight up afro-tastic. I don't even care if the plot sucks, or if he repeats the same jokes. He has a good formula (Anchorman, Talledega Nights, Blades of Glory) and he sticks to it.

Giddy about the premiere tonight, I started to think of friends of mine that still dress like they are in the seventies. Of course, my mind shifted to my ultimate friends. Ultimate friends are sometimes like post modern furniture (according to Moe Szyslak of The Simpsons)- "weird for the sake of being weird". I know funny clothes does not equal spirit, but there are many cases where the most zany do make their games fun/spirited affairs.

My questions to you are as follows

Who in your city has the most spirit?

Who in the following divisions would you say have the most spirit/fun within your country

Open

Women's

Mixed

I have two players to nominate. Gavin Thompson and Lindsay Bales.

Gavin Thompson has been playing for over 15 years in Ottawa and going to nationals for almost as long. He has never missed a tournament party. He always wears something so outlandish to the field and the party that he is remembered. He also plays the game with a lot of witty talk and spirit/fairness. He'll be the first to tell you about his legendary throws and his zone busting abilities as well as his deficiencies. He wants to donate his arm to a younger more fit athlete, and can't wait till science catches up to his generosity.

Still not convinced? The man has his own rule in a 3500+ member league

The Gavin T. Rule

Any player wishing to play naked must first secure the permission of both Captains.

Lindsay Bales from Montreal is another example of zany costumes and great spirit. A fixture in women's and coed ultimate for many years, I've personally organized teams and begged her to come play with us. Yeah, she's a great handler, but we also wanted the friendliness and leadership she can bring, even when surrounded by strangers. The woman did a naked keg stand back in the day and tells people about it fondly to this day.

I admit that I am very serious about the game and my game. But having the chance to play with these people, I secretly hope that ultimate can keep the characters with the athletes.

JACKIE MOON!

Lindsay Bales- Layout for Life 2004Photo: John Tajima and Ultypics.com

Oh yeah, Lindsay is a great representative as well...Also true in Sparta of Montreal.

Blue, who plays for Mayhem (Hamilton) is another classy guy when it comes to Ultimate, he may not be a super spirit type guy, but he loves the 'poop' talk and is always calm and joking on the field, irrespective of the score or situation.

Anyone who played on Chaos (Winnipeg) in the early 2000s as well. Those guys kicked the crap out of everyone, and everyone involved (winning or losing) usually had fun.